What Others Have Said

In January of 2018, Kits Community asked the public to send us their comments about the megapool facility that we would send on their behalf to the Park Board Commissioners. Here is what some people said:

“As a Kits homeowner who lives across the street from the proposed new Aquatic Centre, I am 100% opposed to this plan.

I nor any of my neighbors were consulted on this plan, and today is the first time I have even heard about this Proposed Aquatic Centre. We did not ask for this Pool, what we do request is that the city leave the Community Centre and Connaught Park alone. With a Civic election coming up, the Parks Board should think twice about passing this, as we will show our displeasure via our votes.” –P.R.

“There’s more to lose than gain with this re-development.

For me, losing our Sunday Farmers Market would be really horrible. The Market is a perfect representation of the people who live in this area of Kits and our sense of community.” – P.R.

“I urge the Park Board Commissioners to not approve this plan and to begin a legitimate consultation process.

When will this government learn that a livable/sustainable city is built in collaboration with neighbourhood stakeholders? I am appalled by the lack of transparency in this process when there will be such an impact on the neighbourhood. This should not happen without the majority of Kits residents, who wish to express their views, supporting it. The insensitivity and lack of democratic process is staggering.” – J.H.

“Parks Board intentionally keeping this quiet as they know Community opposition will be incredible.” – P.C.

“I have major concerns that this is too large a proposal for this area.

Already there are far too many people travelling here by car to take their children to the many schools nearby.. It is a traffic nightmare that barely contains the overflow that exists. The entrance/exit for large scale events would ruin the Beautiful green space that is a much needed space to remain as is.

“There are far better choices like on campus at UBC or the False Creek Flats, of Musqueam lands, where the grounds can hold all the new infrastructure..I am upset that no information has been supplied to the residents that are effected. I say NO to a Large Mega Pool and do not want to lose OUR GREEN park Space.Please allow more information to come forward this is very disturbing to hear about it .” – V.L.

I enjoy the small, relaxing scale of our community centre where I bump into people I know from down the street.

I do not want a large complex like Hillcrest. It’s fun to go there sometimes but I do not want a place like that in Kitsilano as my community centre. – E.L.

Once again, the City of Vancouver tries to push through without the proper consult.

They did this with the 16th bus route that they had already decided on before the actual vote. Very disappointed in how the City deals with major issues that will greatly affect community and neighbourhood. This area is already very congested and parking is difficult. How are they planning on dealing with this? Cars will block up residential neighbourhoods, making it more difficult to park. I reject this mega pool. – D.L.

I am strongly opposed to the plan for a mega pool and sports facility where the current Kits Community Center and Rink are.

These Community centers are just that, for the community.

The thought of losing that precious park space is just crazy to me. I attended Kits High a number of years ago and can say that this are is used regularly and is a beautiful area for the school kids and families that go to the current Community Center to sit and just enjoy their surroundings. This city is blessed with an abundance of pools and rinks. It is best to keep them in as many neighborhoods as possible. Closing the aquatic center pool is unacceptable. The good people of kits do not need and influx of people into a relatively quiet neighborhood. To my you (The City of Vancouver) should leave well enough alone. – E.D.

I’m writing to let you know that as a resident of kitsilano I don’t favour putting In a huge destination pool at the kits community center. A small size pool is ok but I really dislike the big pools.

I remember when the new facilities came in at Hillcrest I was excited and went but I found it to be too packed with kids and people. I’ve been going to the byng pool lately and I love the small community feel of it. It is still well used but not overrun with people. Regulars start up conversations with me. It’s quiet and relaxing and there is room in the hot tub and sauna. Not squished in like sardines. I go to use the hottub and sauna at kitsilano community centre for the same reasons. Also it, along with Dunbar and byng, have the hottest hot tubs with the strongest jets. I notice at the big pools like hillcrest and ubc that the hot tubs are not hot enough and the jets are weaker. I don’t know if that’s because they are more child oriented or what but I can tell you I would be pissed if the great hot tub at kits was replaced with a cooler, weaker one. Anyways, please take my opinion into account as I’ve been going to kits community centre since I was a kid and I think a lot of people who use it feel the same way. – L.L.

I recently moved to 2080 W. Broadway and I say NO to the mega pool at the Kitslano Community centre and Connaught Park. – A.Y.

Please let the Park Board know that I am against the VanSplash proposal to build a Megapool at the Kits Community Centre location.

As a resident in the area, I feel that a large training facility will be detrimental to the community, not just because of the potential loss of green space and “community feel”, but also due to the large influx of traffic that will result.

Already at school pick up time and during the Sunday Farmer’s market the surrounding streets become very busy and congested. This will become even worse if you decide to build the Megapool. – L.K.

Senior citizens rely on small local pools for exercise and a social life.Those with health issues can swim when they can’t do other forms of exercise and this helps ease the burden of the health service.

Large destination pools like Hilcrest are not easily accessible to the elderly and are too big, noisy and crowded for the older generation.

On the opposite age spectrum, there is already a shortage of local swim classes for children and this will make it even harder for families to get a space. Do not close down our local pools. – N.R.

There has been little or no consultation on these huge changes proposed for Kitsilano Community Centre, Ice Rink, and Connaught Park.

Equally, the future of the Aquatic Centre and its replacement have not had adequate public exposure. Please STOP these plans for a minimum of 90 days in order that the community can have input into these plans. – D.G.

I am concerned about this new pool and the idea of eliminating other facilities in the Vancouver area, the old ones were always great and necessary.

The new trout lake was designed horribly, you have a steam room in between 2 dungeon washrooms facing the weight room a few feet away. Hillcrest fitness centre is very tiny, about a 30 min to hour line up for a machine. This is unreasonable and doesn’t work for many people. The old Trout lake facility was amazing and worked very well for everyone, the architecture was precise. Hearing this new facility was going to be an improvement, so it was hard to believe and to see the final product was a huge disappointment to many people! Anyone doubting this needs to go take a look themselves, also both of these fitness centres are not located on the main floor but upstairs. Please don’t ruin any more of these facilities and throw in fitness centres that are not constructed properly. To eliminate all the smaller pools is a neglect towards these communities. Health and wellness is important to these people and they deserve to keep their peace. – C.L.

I would like Park Board and those planning a destination pool at Connaught Park to answer several important questions:

1. Do they know there is already a mega pool with training facilities at UBC? It is a four B-Line stops away. Is another large pool needed so close? It is not in “Vancouver” it is on the UEL, so perhaps they don’t realize it.

2. Do they remember that a senior park board staff person was interviewed on CBC radio just before Christmas talking about the importance of preserving and maintaining green space in park design? This is a beautiful big green space that can be shared by many users at the same time: baseball, rugby, cricket, soccer, and still have space to walk and sit and fly a kite.
3. Do they remember that in the last five or so years they spent a great deal of time and money improving the drainage on the big field at the west end of the park, presumably where they would build the pool? – S.K.

This just goes with the flow of what Gregor Robertson wants.Develop, develop, develop. He has a vision that is not the people’s vision. – G.I.

My wife and I use the Kits Community Centre as it exists on a regular basis.

It is our understanding that the Park Board has done a very poor job of informing residents living in the Kits area about these proposed changes. From what we have heard so far, we are not in support of the current proposal. – R.B.